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Monday, March 24, 2014

Rawsome Vegan Baking (book review, recipe and giveaway - CLOSED)

I am looking forward to experimenting with more raw food recipes once warm weather arrives and I'm no longer craving the comfort of cooked foods. Recently I received a copy of Rawsome Vegan Baking by Emily von Euw of ThisRawsomeVeganLife.com. With all of its beautiful photos and delicious-sounding recipes, Rawsome Vegan Baking is sure to inspire me in my quest to prepare more raw desserts.

As the book makes its rounds on a blog tour, I was assigned to try out the Ultimate Caramel Chocolate Squares. Okay, if I must! As von Euw writes in her intro to the recipe, this is a great treat to share with people who doubt that "healthy" and "indulgent" can come together in the same dish.

With a base of almonds and dates and two more layers made up of simple ingredients like coconut oil, vanilla, cacao powder and maple syrup, you might not expect these squares to become the tasty little beauties that they ultimately become. That's my version, above. I popped half the batch into the freezer so I can grab one and eat it anytime I have a craving for sweets. These naturally sweetened squares are a much healthier option than a typical packaged snack or chocolate bar with refined sugars.

Here is the official photo from the book. One of the things I love about Rawsome Vegan Baking is that each and every recipe is accompanied by a beautiful photo. From the looks of it, these recipes create fancy-looking desserts that you can proudly display for friends and family after a special meal.

Yet the recipes aren't complicated to make. Once you have stocked up on ingredients such as cashews, almonds, oats, dates, cacao, fruits and coconut oil, you'll be set to make any number of these

unique and lovely desserts with the help of your trusty food processor. Don't be confused by the word "baking" in the title - the book includes an abundance of cook-free raw vegan recipes for cakes and cupcakes, cookies, pies and tarts, puddings and ice creams and more.

Ultimate Caramel Chocolate Squares

by Emily von Euw, Rawsome Vegan Baking

Keywords: raw dessert vegan sugar-free bars

6061608

Ingredients (Makes: about 12)

BASE

2 cups (290 g) raw almonds

1 ½ cups (263 g) pitted dates

Splash of vanilla extract

CARAMEL LAYER

1 cup (175 g) pitted dates

1 tablespoon (15 ml) melted coconut oil

¼ cup water

Splash of vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

CHOCOLATE LAYER

2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted coconut oil

¼ cup (30 g) cacao powder

2 ½ tablespoons (50 g) pure maple syrup

¼ teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

TO MAKE THE BASE LAYER: Pulse the almonds into flour, then add dates and vanilla and process until it begins to stick together. Press into the bottom of a parchment paper–lined 9-inch (23-cm) square baking pan and place in the fridge until you add the caramel layer.

TO MAKE THE CARAMEL AND CHOCOLATE LAYERS: Blend all the caramel ingredients until smooth, and then spread onto the crust. Then do this for the chocolate layer, too, and spread it over the caramel layer. Let it sit in the fridge overnight and then slice and serve the next day. So good.

MORE GREAT RECIPES AND MORE CHANCES TO WIN!

Visit the other blogs on the tour for more recipes from Rawsome Vegan Baking and more chances to win a copy of the book for yourself! If you just can't wait for a copy (and I don't blame you!), buy it online now:

This might seem like a cop out but I loove eating dates and peanut butter straight up. Takes just like a cookie (in my opinion) but with zero effort! I have a feeling this recipe will be my new favorite though..

Ooooh, I'm a lover of the raw....basically, I eat everything raw! But my favorite might have to be raw nuts of all sorts. Especially cashews....oh man I'm salivating....thank god they're practically the base of every vegan and raw recipe ever!I also like eating rolled oats uncooked....I hope this isn't an unhealthy habit....

Hi! I'm Joann, a Toronto, Canada freelance writer and mother of two kids and two beagle-mix rescue pups. Inspiration is all around us, but how often do we miss it as we speed through our days crossing things off our lists? Grab a cup of tea and join me in exploring the art in everyday life, including diy, decor, books and lots of easy-to-make, family-friendly vegan food.